Part Time Chef in Thatcham

Are you looking for a part‑time chef role where you can be creative and work with a dedicated team? If so, join Thornford Park as a Part‑time Chef working 25 hours a week. As a crucial part of the kitchen team, you’ll play a vital role in crafting daily meals for service users, staff and visitors. Dive into food preparation and elevate your role by providing guidance and training to your peers. There are regular activities, events and special occasions throughout the year which you’ll also cater for – World Food Day, Christmas, Easter, Family Day and many more. In other words, plenty of chance to be creative and do something different. It’s a calm and pleasurable working environment, where you’ll be able to manage your workload and enjoy creating delicious meals. There’s a great social aspect to this role where you can interact with people outside the kitchen regularly.

As a Part‑time Chef you will be:

• Supporting the Head Chef for the day‑to‑day running of the kitchen.
• Maintaining good food storage procedures and stock rotation according to established procedures.
• Preparing, planning and cooking meals to a consistently high standard, taking account of any special requests or dietary requirements within the unit.
• Serving service users, staff and visitors with food and beverage in a professional and courteous manner.
• Preparing and producing foods for conferences and banquets.
• Participating in food costings through effective cost control procedures.
• Adhering to the ‘Safer Food Better Business’ standards and record keeping.
• Adhering strictly to Food Hygiene Regulations and other safety procedures at all times.
• Taking full shift responsibility for the catering operation.
• Assisting the Head Chef by researching and creating new menus ensuring meals are of a high quality and complement healthy eating guidelines.
• Correctly filling all paperwork in relation to the Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point system (HACCP) – fridge temperatures, food temperature logs and cleaning schedules.

To be successful in this role, you’ll need:

• To be 18 years or older.
• GCSE or equivalent English.
• City & Guilds 706/1 and 2 (or equivalent) Basic Food Preparation Cooking.
• Basic Food Hygiene (essential).
• Intermediate Food Hygiene (desirable).
• Previous experience in a similar environment.
• Previous experience in delivering a service on mass.
• Menu planning, costing, ordering, stock control and budget experience.

Where you will be working: Thornford Park, Crookham Hill, Thatcham, Berkshire, RG19 8ET. You will work at Thornford Park which is a combination of medium secure and low secure units and rehabilitation flats. The service provides a seamless internal care pathway supporting and empowering patients in their recovery and rehabilitation. You will work alongside the multidisciplinary team to provide personalised assessment and treatment programmes for males with mental illness/ complex care needs as well as those with personality disorder. Service users may have histories of offending and/or may have failed in previous placements.

What You’ll Get At Elysium Healthcare, we believe in taking care of the people who care for others. You’ll enjoy a comprehensive benefits package designed to support your wellbeing, growth, and future.

• Annual base salary of £27,820 (Pro Rata).
• The equivalent of 33 days annual leave (including bank holidays) – plus your birthday off and the option to buy (Pro Rata) additional annual leave, in our annual selection window.
• Career development and training to help you achieve your professional goals.
• Access to our Rewards & Benefits platform Ely‑Vate; your one‑stop destination for everyday savings, exclusive benefits, and wellbeing hub.
• Wellbeing support and activities to help you maintain a healthy work‑life balance.
• Access to Blue Light Card, which provides a range of exclusive offers and discounts.
• Life Assurance, for added peace of mind.
• Stream – instant access to earned wages when you need it, plus access to save, directly from your wages, alongside financial wellbeing support.
• 24/7 GP service and second medical opinion, to ensure you are the best you can be.
• Enhanced Maternity Package, so you can truly enjoy this special time.
• Pension contribution, to help secure your future.
• Free meals and onsite free parking.

About your next employer: Elysium Healthcare has over 8,000 employees and a unique approach to the delivery of care. With a network of over 90 services across England and Wales covering Mental Health, Neurological, Learning Disabilities & Autism, Children & Education, there is opportunity for you to grow and move. Elysium Healthcare is part of Ramsay Health Care with a global network that extends across 10 countries and employs over 86,000 people globally. Elysium Healthcare follows safer recruitment of staff for all appointments and is a Disability Confident employer, committed to inclusive and accessible recruitment. It is a requirement that all staff understand it is each person's individual responsibility to promote and safeguard the welfare of service users. All candidates will be subject to a DBS disclosure.